About Menstruation

Question:

As salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu,

Could Ustadh Abdullah please tell us the rules of menstruation for women in the Maliki madhab, and also if it is permitted for women in such a state to
1) enter the masjid for any reason and 2) read/recite/hold the Qur’an.

Jezakum Allahu khairan.

Answer:

In the School of Malik, the maximum number of days that is considered possible for a particular woman to have a menstrual cycle is 15 days. And the minimum number of days possible for her to be without menstruation is 15 days. This means that were there to be fewer than 15 days between two menstrual cycles, they are considered to be part of one single cycle. It also means that were a woman’s usual cycle 15 or close to 15 days, then once she reaches 16 days and she still sees

blood, then this blood is not considered the blood of menstruation. And the woman is said to be mennorraghic (suffering from excessive bleeding). This means that she would have to perform a ghusl, return to prayer, and that her husband can approach her intimately even though she may still see blood.

As for entering the masjid, Imam Malik’s view was that a woman who is menstruating cannot enter or pass through the masjid for any reason. That is, as long as the place is an actual masjid, founded as a religious endowment, as opposed to a mere musalla (prayer room/hall). Some scholars from other schools consider it permissible for a menstruating woman to pas through if it is absolutely necessary.

And as for reading the Qu’ran while menstruating, this is permissible, equally if it is done from memory or from the mushaf (written copy). What is impermissible is that she touch the script and pages while she is menstruating.

And Allah knows best.

Was Salam

Shaykh Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali